Pantoliano prepares for new series, ‘Dr. Vegas’

Q: I really enjoyed watching actor Joe Pantoliano when he was on “The Sopranos,” and I thought he was great on the (CBS) show “The Handler.” What has he been doing since that show went off the air? — Harry H.

A: Pantoliano has been preparing for his new CBS series, “Dr. Vegas,” in which he co-stars with Rob Lowe (“The West Wing”). The new show is scheduled to premiere in the 2004-2005 season.

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Q: On “Will and Grace,” can you tell me if the woman who plays Rosario played one of the nuns in (the 1960s show) “The Flying Nun”? If so, was she a nun in real life, as one of my co-workers says? — Renee S.

A: Shelley Morrison did indeed play Sister Sixto on “The Flying Nun.” As for your second question, the Bronx-born Sephardic Jew, who traces her ancestry to Spain and who now practices Lakota Indian spiritual traditions, was never a nun — she just played one on TV.

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Q: I know that Soledad O’Brien, one of the anchors on CNN’s “American Morning,” is expecting twins. When will the babies be born, and does she know if they’re boys, girls or one of each? Also, how did she react when she learned she would have twins? — Jocelyn DeJ.

A: O’Brien and her husband, Brad, expect twin boys in August. She says she wasn’t really surprised when she first learned she was carrying two babies, since twins run in her family.